Local Tories' arrogance, bad manners and immaturity

(December 12, 2016)

WARMINSTER Conservative councillors plumbed new depths of arrogance and bad manners at a planning meeting this evening when the Home Farm planning application was considered by the planning advisory committee.

It is customary at councils for the local ward members be given the courtesy of speakng first and moving motions - BUT NO, NOT HERE.

Independent Cllr.Steve Dancey said: "What a shower they are. It was easy to see how everything was fixed and stitched up in advance as when the matter was opened for debate the Tory chairman George Jolley looked straight across at Rob Fryer without even glancing at the local ward member.

"Over the past 30 years I've reported on councils across Wiltshire, Hampshire and Dorset and I don't think I've seen such arrogance and bad manners on the part of any committee chairman at any level during that time.

"They clearly were not in the least interested in hearing the views of local members or the roomful of local people who had braved the cold and wet to register their opposition.

"If you would like to put an end to the sort of backward backwoods shenanigans we have put up with in Warminster please contact us."

"It is wrong on so many counts but there is a more important issue and that is that the town council is being brought into disrepute by the councillors who control it.

"The ink has barely dried on Neighbourhood plan. It was supposed to deliver what the residents want for the town but four councillors last night backed those that argued that it supports what developers want.

"The Neighbourhood Plan is immediately not worth the paper it is written on. Three years work down the drain.

"Those same councillors nodded their heads to the immature, no childish, argument that because someone has had something unpleasant dumped in their back yard then so should someone else.

"There was not one planning policy put forward to justify support building houses at Home Farm.

"They even rejected my reasonable request that we ask Wiltshire Council to ensure that all the residents many concerns are fully addressed before it reaches a decision.

"Another backward and awful step for the future of Warminster if successful.

"It continues to leave planning in our town hidden behind smoke and mirrors to the ordinary Joe Public.